This dissertation contains three essays that study the operational challenges and business innovations in service industries. We investigate how service providers could use wisely designed business models and service systems to induce preferable customer behaviors, and therefore manage demand and optimize revenue. Using a stylized model, we study how customers...
The dissertation consists of three self-contained papers. In Chapter 1, we study the inventory management problem in a dual sourcing system, where there are two supply sources or modes with different sourcing costs and lead times. We provide closed-form solutions to a robust optimization model for inventory management in a...